In which country does the Burryman ritual take place?

The Burryman or Burry Man is the central figure in an annual ceremony or ritual, the Burryman's Parade, that takes place in the South Queensferry area of Edinburgh, on the south bank of the Firth of Forth in Scotland, on the second Friday of August.

In the morning, a local man is covered from head to ankles in burrs (the sticky flowerheads or seedheads of two species of burdock) that grow locally, and walked through the town for over nine hours. The meaning of this ceremony has long been forgotten, but it has been the cause of much speculation.

There are many theories about the origin of the custom, what the ceremony means, and why it continues. One idea is that the parade was intended to ward off evil spirits - it can certainly ward off children, some of whom are terrified at the very sight of the Burryman, and avoid looking him in the eye. It has been suggested that he carries on a pagan tradition thousands of years old.

Tradition holds that he will bring good luck to the town if they give him whisky and money, and that bad luck will result if the custom is discontinued. Only men born in the village can take on the role of the Burryman. The office is commonly held by the same person for a number of years.